a. [ad. L. complētīv-us ‘serving for filling up,’ f. complēt-; see COMPLETE v. and -IVE. Cf. F. complétif. (Both terms of grammar.)] Having the attribute of completing; serving for completion (of).
Completive tense (Harris): = completed or perfect tense.
1677. Gale, Crt. Gentiles, II. IV. 75. Virtue is termed by Basil … completive of Nature.
1750. Harris, Hermes, Wks. (1841), 154. The middle tenses, (which express time as extended and passing,) and the perfect or completive, which express its completion or end.
1862. F. Hall, Hindu Dramaturgy (1865), 11. The articulations are the initial … the speculative, and the completive.
1879. G. Macdonald, Sir Gibbie, I. xxii. 314. Notes explanatory and completive.
1887. W. S. Pratt, in W. Gladden, Parish Problems, 454. In no sense preparatory, but rather confirmatory or completive.
Hence Completively adv., in a completive manner, by way of completion.
1651. Baxter, Inf. Bapt., 317. Remission is but a Relative change, and Baptism I confess a moral instrument of conferring it completively.
